EastCoast NPZ

What is the record for latest first freeze? It might be in jeopardy. ETA: I see the 6z tries to break down the ridge by h288. Probably just another d12 head fake.

DCA: 11/21 BWI: 11/7 IAD: 11/7 RIC: 11/21 TIEBREAK: 4.1"

My yard is mostly brown. The drought is back. And as today's futility has proven, it's only getting stronger. Long live the Shenandaoh Valley Desert.

Here, it's pretty typical of every winter. I think my point was more how local the dryness has been. Most of the region has received significantly more, especially in Feb and Mar.

I got a whopping 0.91" for March. 2.25" for the "wet" Feb. 1.67" for Jan. .40" for Dec. 1.10" for Nov. Drought has been constant here since the fall. Hell, it's pretty much never-ending here.

Another gutter-cleaning downpour last night. Almost .04". Better head to Lowes and get the sand-bags!

Avoid Stephens City.... at all costs.

I got 9" in the March 2013 storm, and 27" from the Feb 2010 storm. Be careful what you wish for in coming west; I got 3" from the Feb 9, 2010 storm. (All these totals we're discussing were when I lived in Front Royal; moved to Stephens City in summer 2010). You're best bet is to move north of Winchester, or the higher terrain of eastern and southern Warren Co.

You'd think the Rockies were to my west.

It's the only time in my life I've seen it. 1996 was a bigger storm, in the prime of low-sun season, and much colder afterwards, so I give it the edge, but for intensity nothing could match that 1983 storm. I got 37" (1996) over almost 36 hours. Imagine getting 32" in just 16 hours. It averaged 2"/hr. Incredible.

That includes the 2 events. My total was under 1" for both. Not exactly drought-busting rains. It has been notably wetter this month, but when you've had 30% of normal precip since early fall, even 1" in a week is a drop-in-the-bucket.

Temp was around 14F out here. 32" in 16 hours. Thundersnow in the afternoon. 5"/hr rates for a time. You could literally look outside and watch it pile up. It was truly an epic event here. #2 all-time.

I got a whopping .50" over the weekend. Drought remains.

Congrats, you have almost caught up to the FL panhandle, and have 200% of my seasonal total.

Definitely not good to see Texas and the SE that dry. I sure hope that changes before Spring; else major heat could begin building.

You can't weight it against what amounts to lowered expectations based on ENSO state. It was either BN, or it wasn't. 10" amounts to about 60% of DCA climo, no? 60% on a test gets you an 'F'. And, as you mention, that total basically came in one 5 hour storm. Basically, nothing else for the winter. Better than many winters, but still bad enough IMO to include in that awful stretch of winters.

2011, 12, &13?

There is certainly a feedback loop that sets up which can exacerbate and extend droughts. Around here, that region would probably need to be to our WSW for it to amplify our problems. Haven't looked towards the mid-west to see how they are doing with ground moisture. Dry conditions now - while they suck - won't be a big problem until we get to the growing season. If we haven't entered a wetter pattern by then, there will be big problems by late spring. One effect of a drought that is irrefutable is that it equals warmer temps. We could be headed into an epic summer heat nightmare.

Oops, forgot about that one, since I didn't post it in the winter thread. My total for that season would then be 4". So, I stand a good chance of setting the futility record, then.

What did you get in '11 - 12? I had like 2" here. This year I've already got 2.6".

Jan. '96 Feb. '83 Jan. '16 Dec. '09 Feb 5, 2010

LOL. I forgot about that.

Jan. '96 Feb. '83 Jan. '16 2/5/10 Dec. '09 It's interesting that 3 of the top 5 have happened in the last 6 years.

I want to watch a worm torch.

I think you want the delusion room... it's the next door down, on the left.